


Support the Switch

by starwarned



Series: Fictober 2020 [15]
Category: Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell, Simon Snow & Related Fandoms
Genre: 3 + 1, Alternate Universe, Fictober, Fictober 2020, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:15:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27040342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starwarned/pseuds/starwarned
Summary: Fictober Day 15prompt: "not interested, thank you"3 times Baz blew Simon off and 1 time he didn't.
Relationships: Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch & Simon Snow, Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch/Simon Snow
Series: Fictober 2020 [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1951321
Comments: 2
Kudos: 95





	Support the Switch

**Author's Note:**

> prompt is from [this list](https://fictober-event.tumblr.com/post/628547358001594368/fictober-event-the-prompts-for-2020) on tumblr!

“Support the switch to one-hundred percent renewable energy?” 

Another dickhead shrugs him off and Simon sighs, letting himself be let down for only a moment before he has to gear up for the next person coming out of the Tesco. 

“Support the switch to one-hundred percent renewable energy, sir?” 

Once again. 

Simon’s been standing outside the Tesco for almost an hour now. His assistant, Shep, made a run down the street to get them coffee, so Simon’s on his own for a bit. Simon loves his job. He loves working to commit London to fully renewable energy sources. It’s important to him. He doesn’t love standing outside various grocery stores and getting shrugged off by rude mothers and bitchy teenagers. 

“Hey,” Simon says, taking a couple steps so he’s closer to the taller man (who looks about his age). “Would you like to support the switch to one-hundred percent renewable energy?” 

“Sod off,” the man says. He doesn’t even look up from his phone as he steps deftly past Simon and off the sidewalk. 

Part of Simon wishes that he’d get run over right then but the man safely makes it across the parking lot. 

Simon spends another ten minutes alone, only getting one signature in that entire time, until Shep returns with their coffee. 

\--

“Support the switch to one-hundred percent renewable energy?” 

The lady on her phone smacks Simon’s clipboard away from her so that he almost drops it. He makes a frightened sound but steadies it in his hands and looks up to see the woman glaring at him and stalking away. 

Simon grunts and Shep pats him on the back. 

“There, there, mate,” Shep says in the most disgustingly terrible fake British accent. (Shep’s from America and even though he’s been in London for quite a while, he hasn’t gotten any better at mimicking the accent). “Next one.” 

Simon nods and refuses to give up hope. “Right,” he says. 

They’ve already done better today than they did last week. Simon and Shep tend to be scheduled to stand outside the Tesco on Thursdays and today’s haul has come with fourteen signatures instead of the measly eight from the week before. 

Simon lifts up the bottom of his bright green  _ Save the Earth  _ tee to wipe his forehead. It’s uncharacteristically hot in London and Simon regrets not applying sunscreen before he left his flat. 

“Hey, wanna help the city switch to renewable energy?” Simon hears Shep ask someone. 

“Oh, you again.” 

Simon turns at that, only to find a vaguely familiar face staring at him. It’s the man from the week before who had told Simon to sod off and had very rudely  _ not  _ gotten hit by a car when Simon wished he would. Now that Simon’s actually getting a decent look at him, he recognizes that he’s quite attractive. He’s got long black hair that’s tucked into a sophisticated bun at the back of his head and he’s wearing a suit (even though it’s far too hot out). 

“Hello,” Simon says. He’s purposefully more outwardly friendly than he feels inwardly. 

“Still not interested. Thank you,” he says. 

Simon watches him walk away. 

He doesn’t get hit by a car this time either.

\-- 

“Support the switch to one-hundred percent renewable energy?” 

Simon is blatantly ignored - the teenager walks on, unflinching, past Simon and Shep. She only turns around after she’s to her car and by then, Simon’s moved on to the next exiting Tesco shopper. 

“Hi-” he starts, holding out his clipboard to a nice looking young couple. 

“No,” the man interrupts sharply.

Simon sighs lightly as they walk away, the woman shooting him an apologetic look as if to say, “I’m sorry for my partner’s behavior but I’m not sorry enough to sign your petition and try to make this world even marginally better. Good fucking luck.” At least that’s how Simon takes it.

Shep’s clipboard is full of signatures today. Simon’s not nearly as lucky. Maybe it’s just the repeated experience of being shot down but he’s not as cheerful today - not as willing to take anyone’s shit. 

“How do you do it?” Simon asks Shep. 

“Do what?” Shep responds, chewing on the end of his pen. 

“Stay so bloody positive about this,” Simon says. “We’ve been out here for hours, I’m getting roasted alive by the sun, and multiple people have signed your clipboard under the name  _ Penis _ .” 

Shep shrugs. “I’ve just been through worse than this, I guess,” he says. 

Simon nods. Shep has a pretty mysterious background that he won’t tell Simon a lot about. For a very loud and fairly open guy, he doesn’t ever seem to talk about anything of substance. 

“Haven’t you?” Shep asks. 

Before Simon can answer, he’s bowled over and knocked to the ground, the clipboard slipping out of his hands and clattering to the concrete. 

“Fuck, sorry!” The person currently on top of him curses. 

Simon groans in pain as the man clambers off of him. Simon slowly gets to his feet, brushing off the front of his shirt and inspecting the gashes on his palms from the sidewalk. He looks up to find the same man (who is infuriatingly taller than him), wiping off his impeccably tailored suit. 

“You, again?” Simon can’t stop himself from saying, his brows furrowing. 

“You’re the one standing outside of the Tesco every day,” the man shoots back easily. 

Shep appears at Simon’s side. “You alright, Simon?” he asks. 

“Simon?” the still nameless man asks (as if he has a right to know Simon’s name after fucking bowling him over like that). 

Simon nods curtly. “And you are?” And when he doesn’t receive a reply immediately, he adds. “I think I deserve to know now.” 

“Baz,” he says. 

Simon and Baz make charged eye contact. 

Simon holds up the clipboard in between them. “Want to support the switch to one-hundred percent renewable energy?” 

\-- 

“Support the switch to one-hundred percent renewable energy?” 

Shep’s cheerful voice is jarring. Simon flinches. So does the woman that Shep has bombarded with his endless energy at nine in the morning. 

They’re here earlier than normal. Their supervisor had suggested they start coming earlier to try and get the pity signatures of the elderly couples doing their weekly grocery shopping. 

Simon hopes that because they came earlier today that he won’t have to see (or physically run into) Baz. Knowing his name now makes it easier to think hateful things about him. 

“Think we’ll see your boyfriend again?” Shep asks once he’s successfully driven the woman away with his perkiness. 

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Simon says immediately. He flicks his pen in between his fingers and glares at Shep. 

Shep raises his eyebrows at Simon. “Right,” he says. 

“Support the switch to one-hundred percent renewable energy?” 

Simon whips around. Of course, Baz is standing there. 

“That’s my line,” Simon says. 

Baz shrugs. Simon notices the significant lack of groceries in his hands even though he’s coming out of the Tesco. “Figured I’d switch it up,” he says. 

“Now that you’ve memorized the tagline, would you like to sign the petition?” Simon asks, holding up the clipboard. 

“I will if you go out with me.” 

Simon is completely taken aback, his eyes widening. “What?” 

“I’ll sign your petition if you go out with me,” Baz says, not a hint of irony on his face. 

Simon can’t deny that Baz is fit. And he’ll get a signature. (And did he mention that Baz is fit?) 

Simon shrugs. “Okay. Sign here,” he says, holding up the clipboard. “Are you prepared to support the switch to one-hundred percent renewable energy?” 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm going out of town this weekend for fall break so I might not be posting my fictobers for the next few days until monday! I'll be writing them for sure but idk how much cell service I'll have


End file.
